Oak Ridge will make the move to Class 5A in the football playoffs in 2013 after the TSSAA Board of Control approved the new state-wide district realignments Thursday. However, the Wildcats will still have a tough regular season, including as many 6A schools on the docket as they did during the past four years.

Oak Ridge will make the move to Class 5A in the football playoffs in 2013 after the TSSAA Board of Control approved the new state-wide district realignments Thursday. However, the Wildcats will still have a tough regular season, including as many 6A schools on the docket as they did during the past four years.

Oak Ridge High School Athletic Director Mike Mullins, along with coaches in districts 3-AAA and 4-AAA gathered Monday to set schedules after the official announcement from the state's high school athletic governing body. Mullins said the move from the state's largest playoff division was not an easy one to make and was a long process.

"We are playing as many 6A teams this year as we did last year," Mullins said. "The only difference will be when we do go to the playoffs.

"I talked with a lot of different people — coaches, former players, community members — and I was surprised at the number of people that wanted to go to 5A. There were people that wanted to go 6A as well, but I think if you look at right now where we are, this is what is best for us."

Mullins cited that the 2012 ORHS team that finished the regular season and ranked No. 6 in Class 6A was senior-laden with 23 members of the team set to graduate in May.

"We had 50 kids on the varsity roster (in 2012). For a 6A program, that's not a lot of kids," Mullins said. "Depth-wise you saw it in the way we played this year. If we had an injury instead of bringing a backup in, we had to bring in someone from the other side of the ball and fill in. That's the difference right now.

"When I coached, we had 100 kids on the varsity that came down the steps every Friday night.

See ORHS, Page 4A

We are at 50 now. You look at Jefferson and

See Robertsville (middle schools) — their numbers are down. You take the Boys Club — their numbers are down," he said.

The TSSAA reclassifies everyone across the state every four years and rescheduling takes place every two. Mullins said he is open to the idea of moving up if numbers increase at the next reclassification period.

"Our school enrollment really dictated the move to 5A," he said. "Hopefully we will be in a situation where our numbers will go back up."

2013 schedule still tough

With the new classification, Oak Ridge will still see many familiar foes on the football schedule. District 3-AAA saw Hardin Valley move out to 4-AAA to make room for Gibbs in the nine-team district. That decision was made by the TSSAA Board of Control.

Page 2 of 2 - Anderson County protested its numbers as the smallest 5A school in the state when enrollment figures came out in October. ACHS cited its numbers had already dropped since that number was given before the cutoff and wanted to be moved down to 4A in football and AA in all other sports, but the Board denied the appeal.

Oak Ridge will begin the 2013 season with rival and non-district foe Farragut in Week 1. The Wildcats have faced the Admirals — a 6A school — for their season opener each of the last five years. The only other non-district contest will be against former district rival McMinn County. The Wildcats last faced the Cherokees last year in the first round of the playoffs and won 35-6.

Mullins said the teams drew numbers for district schedules at their meeting on Monday, the same as they did four years ago, and after having a front-loaded schedule the past four years, the schedule has spread out.

"We drew numbers," Mullins said. "That's how we came to the district schedule. As far as non-district schedule, we wanted to get something that was a competitive schedule for us for a playoff run.

"Coach Blade and I have felt like our success in the playoffs were because we do play a good non-district schedule."

Oak Ridge tried to schedule games with Maryville, Hardin Valley, Bearden, Dobyns-Bennett, Sevier County, Science Hill, Jefferson County and Ooltewah but were unable to do so. Mullins said conflicting open dates were the reason the Wildcats and Rebels couldn't get together.

Maryville had Week 3 and Week 5 open. Oak Ridge hosts district games during those weeks. ORHS officials calls to Sevier County and Jefferson County were reportedly not returned. Mullins said he also heard from teams in Murfreesboro, but decided the travel would make it difficult for fans to attend.